Martina & Chrissie: The Greatest Rivalry in the History of Sports

Bildner (Marvelous Cornelius) and Helquist (The Doll People’s Christmas) offer a gripping dual biography of Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, two athletes who could not be more different, despite their shared talent. “Chrissie was this All-American girl,” writes Bildner. “Patience and poise and precision.” Martina, meanwhile, “was all emotion, all the time.” Bildner’s conversational narrative creates an instant bond with readers (“Keep in mind, this was during the Cold War. You know what the Cold War was, right? No?”) as Helquist deploys a series of play-by-play action scenes that capture the speed and intensity of their many tennis matches. But just as important as their competition was the unexpected bond the two women formed off the court: Bildner holds Evert and Navratilova up as an example of how friendship need not always play by the rules. Ages 7–10.[em] Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Mar.) [/em]